COVID-19 Canada | CTV News | Coronavirus

Feds urge med students, retirees to volunteer in the fight against COVID-19

Laura Osman The Canadian Press
Published Friday, April 3, 2020 3:48PM EDT
Last Updated Friday, April 3, 2020 4:14PM EDT

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OTTAWA --
The federal government is seeking volunteers with medical experience to provide backup support in the fight against COVID-19.

Health Canada is creating a database of specialized volunteers provinces and territories can draw on to help track down people who have been in contact with positive cases, collect data and provide surge capacity at hospitals.

The online application process was launched this week.

"It's asking people who have the skill set to do public health, like contact-tracing and other skills that provinces are looking for, to apply," said chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam.

Most public health agencies in major jurisdictions still have the resources to try to track down the close contacts of every person confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 to try to break the chains of transmission, Tam said. They tell those contacts that they might have been exposed to the illness and to take preventive measures.